Berserk(バーサク, Bāsaku?) is a recurring status effect in the Final Fantasy series. Generally, berserked characters have increased attack power and speed, but can only use physical attacks and cannot be controlled. The status is usually gained through an item called Bacchus's Wine and a spell of the same name. The job classBerserker is constantly under the Berserk status, and uses it for greater physical damage. Characters under Berserk usually glow red and in some games also emit steam from their head.

Inflicting Berserk on an enemy may also interrupt powerful spells or final attacks, provided the party can mitigate the boosted physical damage.

The Berserker job is in a constant Berserk state and cannot be controlled. The Berserker also learns the state of Auto-Berserk as a skill that can be equipped to other classes as well. The Blue Magic spell Moon Flute inflicts Berserk on the entire party. Via the Kiss of Blessing bug in the SNES version the player can inflict Berserk on targets that are meant to be immune to it.

Berserk characters deal increased damage via the following formula:

$ Attack = Attack * 3 / 2 $

The status can be removed with Dispel. Berserked characters are immune to Confuse, the Flirt command, and the effects of the Lilith Rod. Enemies under the influence of Berserk cannot be controlled, nor will monsters execute counterattacks. However, berserked party members may still be able to use Counter.

When a character is under the effects of the Berserk status, the character will do more damage. It should also be noted that the character will become uncontrollable, and will automatically attack a random enemy. To determine which command the berserk character will use, a list is created. Each of these commands: Attack, Mug, Jump, Rage, and Magitek, that the character can use is added to the list.

An extra Attack command is added as well even if the character can't normally use the Attack command. One of the commands from the list is randomly chosen to be used. Monsters will always do a standard physical attack while berserked. If a character selects a command before being berserked, but before they take action, then that selected command will still be executed.

In addition, Umaro is in a constant pseudo-berserk state and cannot be controlled by the player. Also, Gau (and Gogo, due to his/her ability to use Rage), once having chosen a monster from the Rage list, will become uncontrollable for the rest of the battle. Mog also falls into this state after successfully dancing a dance. All these states are similar to the Berserk ailment, and the Berserk status can still be applied on top of these pseudo-berserk state.

If a character is inflicted with the Berserk status while riding a Magitek Armor, he or she will randomly attack with Fire Beam, Ice Beam, or Thunder Beam on a random enemy. This can be a problem if some of the enemies absorbs one of three mentioned elements.

Berserk increases the character's physical attack damage by x1.5, though at the cost of losing control of the character, who will physically attack a random enemy a every chance they get. Berserked units never deal critical hits. An amusing glitch results with some enemies that are not immune to Berserk but do not have a specified attack to use when Berserked.

When this happens, the game falls back on having them use a spell that costs more MP than they will ever have, and thus continually will give the message "[Enemy]'s skill power is used up". Pairing the Mystify Materia with Added Effect lets the player add the status to a character's physical attacks, or defend against the status, depending whether the combination is set in a character's weapon or armor.

Berserk increases damage by 50% and makes the afflicted target attack random enemy targets. In addition, using Rinoa'sLimit BreakAngel Wing puts her in a type of Berserk status, but rather than using physical attacks, she casts a random spell from her magic stock without actually expending the spells. However, if there are no spells to cast, she does physical attacks, with her attacks being five times stronger than normal.

Only enemies use attacks that can inflict Berserk. Berserked targets attack uncontrollably for increased damage. Berserk increases all damage, not just physical, but there is only one case where this can be seen: when a Guado Guardian casts Berserk on an Evil Eye, it increases the damage of their magical Stare attack.

Berserk causes the character to uncontrollably move towards enemies and attack them with increased physical strength, without being able to take any other action. Some fiends inflict the status with their regular attacks. The Berserker's ability Berserk allows the character to enter the status at will. The auto-ability Berserkproof makes the character immune to the status.

The character has given in to rage, fighting relentlessly with heightened attack power. Remove by casting Dispel.

—Description

The Berserk spell itself is an Arcane Magick (Time Magick in the Zodiac versions), and Bacchus's Wine also inflicts the status, although has a chance of missing (it has a 100% chance in the Zodiac versions). The weapon Avenger can also inflict Berserk to an enemy. Fury's attacks have a chance of inflicting Berserk. The Zodiac versions introduce the Berserker Bracers accessory which generate a constant Berserk status.

In addition to the increased attack power and the loss of control, characters under Berserk will attack faster, similar to Haste. However, the character's defense power will be decreased when under berserk. The status effect itself is considered positive, as it can be removed by using Dispel, but not Esuna, and the status persists even if a Save Crystal is touched. The effect is temporary.

A character in Berserk can't be controlled as a party leader, can't use Quickenings and is immune to Confusion. Berserk's attack and speed boosting traits can also be further boosted by stacking the character with Bravery and Haste.

At one point, Fran will automatically go into Berserk while fighting Vossler.

When berserked a character's effective PA is equal to [PA * 3/2]. The character is uncontrollable, and will always use the ATTACK command. The character cannot use reaction abilities and certain move abilities, such as Move-HP Up and Move-Get Exp. They also tend to attack in front of the opponent.

The Defender job class can learn the reaction ability Last Berserk, which causes the Defender to self-Berserk when it is in HP Critical status. The Juggler job class can learn the ability Firebomb, which Berserks and deals damage. The Soldier job class is capable of learning Provoke, which Berserks the target. Animists learn the ability Catnip, which Berserks the target.

The Berserk status is especially useful when there is a law prohibiting the Fight command. Placing enemy units under Berserk will force them to use Fight, thus allowing them to get sent off.

Berserk can be inflicted onto units through the use of the Trickster ability Snigger, the Soldier ability Provoke, the Animist ability Catnip, the support ability Critical: Berserk, or through the use of the enemy ability Tomato Ketchup.

The Berserk status makes it unable for the player to control the provoked unit and the unit will only be able to use the fight command, which useful when inflicted on low-damaging units such as White Mages.

Whenever the player engages any piece on a stage, all Battle Pieces that are adjacent to the player becomes Berserk and the player must engage them instantly, with the player unable to customize their character or use any skills before the battle.

Some battle pieces start in Berserk, and will fight the player if they place their piece adjacent to them. Berserked battle pieces glow red. The effects of Berserk can be nullified once by using the Blink skill, or all the time, including all the next stages of the story, with the Invisible skill.

A character under the Berserk status will randomly attack an enemy without input from the player, They will deal more damage than normal with having higher defense. Characters under the status will be colored red, in the same manner of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI.